With Open Arms
by twilighter12
Summary: Bella had, what she thought, was the perfect life. She had a great job and a fantastic boyfriend. But, after it all comes crashing down, she meets the devastatinly gorgeous Edward Cullen. Can she get over her past, and possibly find love? Please review.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, the restaraunt scene is based off of a part in Legaly Blonde. Lol. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this story, but the idea popped in my head so I thought that I would write it down. Please RxR. **

**Sorry for any confusion, but I needed to replace this chapter because I found some mistakes. But, at least you got another chapter. Hah.**

After two hours of preparation, I was finally ready for my date with the man of my dreams: James. He was absolutely everything that I wanted and more. He was caring, funny, smart, and extremely handsome. Unlike most men, he was able to carry an intelligent conversation. He didn't just agree with me so that he wouldn't have to listen. He voiced his opinions, which was rather intriguing.

We had been together for a year and three months, and I was almost certain that he would be proposing tonight. We had both agreed that after we were at the best that we could possibly be in our careers, we would get married. I was an English teacher for juniors and seniors in high school, and I thought that things were going quite well. James was a bounty hunter, which was nerve-racking at times, but James was especially good at it. He had a weird ability to be able to track people, no matter where they were. He was doing rather well at his job, which led me to believe that we were both at our best points in or professions.

I rapidly slipped on my shoes and ran into the bathroom to check my appearance one last time. I had left my hair down, lightly curly the bottoms. I had no idea how to use makeup, so I had called my best friend Alice to come over and do it for me. Most of the time I could manage on my own, but I knew tonight was going to be special, so I wanted to look my best. She had made it look natural, which was nice because James never liked when I wore a lot of makeup. I wasn't a fan of getting dressed up a lot, so that was something that I never minded. My dress was a simple black dress that accentuated my curves nicely. It was strapless with a bow right at my waist, making it flow over my waist and thighs. It stopped right above knees, showing off my legs. After grabbing my jacket I left our apartment, caught a taxi, and went to the restaurant that I was meeting James at.

I sat in silence, thinking of how to play off the fact that I wasn't going to be surprised when he proposed. My acting skills weren't that great, so I was a little worried. I didn't want him to think that I had been waiting for him to do this, even though I was. I wanted nothing more than to be with him.

When the taxi pulled up to the restaurant, I automatically paid the driver and made my way inside.

"Hello, welcome to Dinnuci's," the woman at the hostess station in a cheery tone that I could clearly tell she was faking. She must have been here for a while.

"Hello," I replied. "Uh. . . I have a dinner date under the name Hart," I said softly.

"Okay, follow me," she said, smiling a forced smile.

"Thank you," I said, though I don't think she heard me.

We walked into the large room where everyone was eating and it didn't take long until I saw James. He easily stuck out in a crowd with his devastatingly good looks. I smiled and raised my hand when he looked at me. He didn't do anything but nod his head. When we got to the table I murmerred a thank you to the host and gave James a chaste kiss on the lips. Usually he would pull out my chair for me, but tonight he had not. I wasn't going to over analyze it, but something didn't seem right.

"How was your day?" I questioned.

"Fine, I guess," he muttered.

"That's good," I said, reaching out my hand to grab his. He kept his hand there for not long over a minute before he pulled it away.

"I ordered you a glass of wine," he said in what sounded like an angry tone. My heart sped up as I started thinking of things that I could have done to make him mad at me, but I couldn't think of anything. Maybe work wasn't as good as he said. He probably just didn't want me to worry.

"Thank you," I said.

James opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but stopped himself when the waiter came back with our wine. He lifted his glass and nodded in his direction, indicating a thank you.

Once he was gone, James continued to say what he was going to before.

"So, I wanted you to come here so that we could talk. I'm sorry that I couldn't get something private, but I have to do something right after this, which is why I didn't come home because it's two buildings down from this one," he said, pausing to take a sip of his wine. "But, I was thinking about my future, about _our_ future, and there are some things I'd like to discuss."

"Okay," I said. This sure was an odd way to start a proposal. Maybe he was just messing with my nerves, trying to make me believe something was wrong before he popped the question.

"We both have so much potential for ourselves. I mean, you are an excellent teacher, and I'm finally reaching the top of my job." He stared at me like he was looking straight through me.

"Yes, I think we've finally reached the point where we are the best that we can be," I said, reaching for his hand once more. This time he quickly moved it so that he could pick up his glass. I pulled my hand back, setting it into my lap.

"Maybe for you," he muttered, "but I've still got much more to achieve before I feel as if I'm the _best_ I can be. I mean, I might be getting close to the top, but there's so much more that I want."

"And I will be here for you when you get to that point," I said. My nerves were on end as I tried to figure out where exactly this conversation was going.

"I greatly appreciate that, but at this point in time you would be supporting me as a girlfriend, and that isn't what I want,"

I could feel the tears rimming my eyes. He couldn't possibly be doing what I thought he was doing. Could he?

"What do you mean?" I croaked.

"I mean . . . that I think that maybe we should . . . Take a break." He said it all so nonchalantly. He was ending something that I thought was going to go much further, getting rid of me as if I were nothing, and that's when the tears started to pour.

"Are you serious?" I almost yelled as I stood up from my seat.

"Bella, please calm down. If you would just listen to me," he pleaded, trying to grab my hand to pull me back down, but this time it was me who pulled their hand back.

"No, James! I will not _calm down._ You brought me in public, made me get all dressed up, just so that you could break up with me?" I said through my teeth. I could feel everyone's stares, and I honestly didn't care. They meant nothing to me. The only thing that mattered was the fact that the man I thought I was going to spend my life no longer wanted to be with me.

"I'm sorry," he said as he stood up.

I couldn't even look at him. All I could do was run out of the restaurant and into the pouring rain.

"Great!" I yelled. I could feel my hair start to stick to my face, and my dress cling to every curve. Luckily Alice had put on waterproof mascara or else I would be really screwed.

"Bella," I heard James say behind me, "Bella please just listen."

"No! I am not listening to _anything _you have to say!" I was making myself look like some kind of freak show, standing on the sidewalk in the pouring rain, screaming at my _ex_ boyfriend.

James grabbed my arm rather violently and pulled me closer to him. "You are making me look like a fool," he hissed.

"Oh, and you didn't make _me _look like one when you broke up with me in public? You didn't even have the decency to do it at _home_?" I questioned him angrily.

The grip on my arm tightened, causing me to flinch.

"James. Let go," I pleaded. I could feel my arm becoming numb from all of the pressure. That must have aggravated him because he pulled me roughly against his chest, tightening his grip yet again. I turned my body away from him, waving my hand hoping to get a taxi so that I could get away from him. James grabbed my other arm, pinning it against my side.

"Do not, and I repeat, do _not _make a big deal out of this. I can not afford to have _you_," he spat the last word, "ruin my reputation." He still had a tight grip on me, but pushed me away from him, almost causing me to land in the street. I caught myself with my hands and I could feel scrapes appear. Just as I lifted my hand to examine my it, a cab pulled up next to me. I could see the window roll down and a velvet voice say, "Get in." I wasn't going to sit on the sidewalk until another cab came by, so I quickly stood up and opened the door to get into the car.

Once I got in I turned to face the person sitting next to me to thank them, but my words were caught in my throat as I turned to see the man sitting next to me. He was amazingly beautiful. That's usually not the word that was used to describe a man, but that was the only thing that sounded appropriate.

"Uh. . . Thank you," I said, my voice shaking.

"You're welcome. You look like you were in a pretty sticky situation, so I thought that I would help you." His angelic voice filled the car, surprisingly calming me down.

"Yeah," was all I could say. I saw him reach out his hand out of the corner of my eye, looking as if he wanted to shake my hand. I carefully pulled my hand away from my side and reached it towards him, but was surprised when he grabbed my wrist so that my palm was facing up.

"You cut yourself," he said.

"Yeah, I know," I muttered. He must have thought I was just some loony chick whose boyfriend, or ex boyfriend for that matter, just went around almost pushing his into traffic.

"I'm Edward Cullen by the way," he said as he lightly ran his thumb over my cuts, causing some of the pain to disappear.

"Bella Swan," I muttered, looking up to see a pair of gorgeous green eyes staring directly at me.

"Nice to meet you," he said as he smiled a crooked smile that made my heart melt.

"Nice to meet you too," I said, smiling back at him. If only knew how nice it really was.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're hand looks like you got some dirt in it. I'm sure you have a first aid kit at home, so what is your address?" I looked at him with an expression that I had no way of defining. I was having so many mixed emotions that I didn't know what was readable on my face. "Or do you not want to go home?" he questioned softly.

"I can't go home. He'll be there," I whispered, dropping my face so that he couldn't see the few tears that escaped my eyes.

"Do you have a friend that you can go to?" he asked. I quickly wiped away the tears and looked up at him. I couldn't help but smile when I stared into his eyes.

"Yes, her name is Alice." After I told him the address and he started to repeat it to the cab driver, I looked out the window. Everything was passing by so quickly, barely giving my any time to focus on just one thing. Everything seemed to blur together, which at this moment in time was just how my life felt. As I was thinking of what was, I could hear my name faintly being called in the background. I turned to see Edward smiling, letting a laugh escape his perfect lips.

"Sorry," I said. I could feel the blush rising up my neck; I was easily embarrassed.

"It's okay," he chuckled. "So, since it's going to take about ten minutes to get to your friends house, why not learn a little about each other?" he questioned.

"There's not much to tell."

He laughed and then his face became serious. "Are you okay?" That definitely wasn't the question I was expecting, and though I wanted to answer him, I didn't know what to say. At the moment I was okay. But, I knew that with some time, the realization of what had just happened would sink in, and I would be everything _but_ okay.

"For now," I smiled a hurt smile, one that I'm sure he saw through.

He didn't reply. Instead he just stared at me with a look of admiration. I felt a shiver go down my spine. He had no reason to look at me like that, especially not now. I was soaked, my hair was a mess, he just saw my ex boyfriend practically toss me in the street. How could someone as perfect as him, be looking at me like _that_? But then I told myself that I was just overanalyzing.

He cautiously lifted his hand, being slow to show me that he meant no harm, and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear, letting his fingers lightly trace the line of my jaw. "Are you going to be okay?" he questioned.

"Eventually," was all that I could tell him. Who knew how long it would take?

"I'm sorry for what happened to you tonight." His voice was sincere, and I could tell that he meant it. Without thinking, I lightly pressed my hand on top of his.

"It's not your fault. You have no need to be sorry."

He closed his eyes, and he looked as if he were thinking about something extremely important. Maybe he was an over analyzer like me. Maybe he thought my gesture meant something more that it did. Maybe he was just asking himself why this crazy chick was even touching him. I quickly removed my hand, but was stopped when he grabbed it again.

"I want to know that you will be okay," I whispered just as the cab stopped.

I had two options. One, I could say that I would be and leave the car, never looking back. Or, I could be more bold. He probably only wanted to be friends, which was all I could be right now, so what was wrong with giving him my number? He could see how I was doing and maybe we could go for coffee or something. I told myself that this option was absolutely fine, so I pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled my number onto it and placed it in his hand, folding his fingers over it.

"Call me sometime," was the last thing I said before getting out of the car. I didn't look back until I was sure it was gone, and I couldn't help the but smile a huge, goofy smile. But, that quickly ended when I realized why I was at Alice's house, and not my own. The pain hit me like a ton of bricks.

I knocked on the door twice before Alice came to the door with a pint of Ben and Jerry's in her hands. I had no idea how she could eat like she did, and still be so tiny. She was no more over five feet, and had to weigh not much above one hundred pounds. She had black, short, spiky hair that made her look like a pixie.

"Well hello there," she chirped as she opened her door so I could step inside. I took off my shoes and jacket and dropped them on the floor, not caring where the landed.

"Hi," I muttered. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"Of course you can. We can stay up and have a sleep over like old times." If I didn't know Alice as well as I did, I would seriously think that something was wrong with her. At the age of twenty-two, she often acted like a twelve year old.

"Thank you." I grabbed the pint of ice cream away from her and made my way into the kitchen sitting on one of the bar stools.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, why exactly are you here?" Her voice sounded concerned.

"James and I broke up," I answered wearily. I could feel the tears approaching.

I could have sworn I heard her say, "about time," but I was probably just a little out of it. I knew Alice didn't like James, nor did he like her. She always thought he was too controlling and clingy.

"What happened?" she asked. She walked past me to go to get the box of tissues that was on the kitchen counter.

"He wants to take a break so that he can get to where he wants to be in life." Thinking back, I didn't really understand his reasoning. I didn't stand in his way while he was making his way to where he was now, so why would he think I would all of the sudden start becoming a burden?

"What a jerk," Alice said angrily. "Oh, but now this means you are back on the market. I know a _ton_ of guys that would die to be with you," she said happily.

"Alice," I warned.

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "You can stay here as long as you need." She walked towards me and gave me a tight hug, letting me know that she was here for me.

"Thank you, Alice. I love you," I said against her hair.

"I love you too. Oh, I talked to your brother today," she said, changing the subject.

"Really? I guess I should tell him what happened. I'm sure he'll be relived. He never did like James," I muttered to myself. When I looked at Alice, I saw that she was staring at my hands, and then her eyes flashed to my arms, and then to my hands again.

"Did he do this to you?" she demanded.

"Uh . . ."

"Oh my god. Are you okay? I'm going to kick his ass," she said fiercely. For someone as small as her, she could be intimidating at times.

"I'm fine. And stay away from him. I want nothing more to do with him," I said, more to myself than her. I had to start convincing myself that I could get over this.

"Well, I will, but your brother sure won't. Once Emmet sees this he is going to flip." I knew she was right. Emmet was extremely overprotective of me. We were the only family we had left after our parents died in a car accident.

"I know," I whispered. Memories of my parents started apperearing, and I had to change the subject before I became a bigger mess than I was right then. "So, do you have any pajamas that will fit me?"

"Yeah, come on."

I wasn't paying much attention when we got into her room. My mind was elsewhere, thinking about anything and everything.

"Bella!" I heard her yell.

"What? Oh, yeah. Thanks," I said apologetically as she handed me some clothes.

"You can sleep in the guest room if you want."

"Okay. Thanks again." I turned away from her and made my way to her door, and I was almost out when she said my name again.

"Yes?" I asked.

"It's going to be okay. I promise," she assured me. I knew that I should believe her.

"Yeah, I know." I tried to smile, but I couldn't just yet.

"Goodnight, Bella. I love you," she called after me.

"I love you too," I said right before I shut the door to the room that I would be sleeping in for a while.

I got dressed and brushed my teeth with the spare toothbrush that Alice had in the bathroom and laid down on the bed, my face buried in the pillow. I was thinking about James, and what he was doing right then. Wondering if he was as hurt as I was, but I knew that that wasn't the case. I started thinking about my brother, and what his reaction would be. But, the last thought that crossed my mind before I fell asleep was Edward Cullen.

Edward Cullen and his crooked smile and green eyes. I fell asleep smiling that night.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up to the sound of yelling that morning. I wasn't awake enough to know who it was, but I thought that I should go figure out. I quickly brushed my teeth and put my hair in a ponytail and made my way down the stairs. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw James towering over Alice, yelling in her face.

"You should have made her go home!" he screamed. Alice showed no sign of his yelling bothering her. She was remaining surprisingly calm.

"Why? Why would I tell her to go home? You _dumped_ her. Please, give me one logical reason why I should have sent my _crying_ best friend home." Alice was so calm, but the harshness of her voice was equivalent to yelling.

"So that we could talk about what happened!" Right after James said that, he looked up from Alice's face and his angry eyes found mine. "Well, thanks for finally gracing us with your presence," he spat. Alice shot him a glare, but he was too busy glaring at me to notice.

"Hi," I managed to say.

"Can you please tell me why you didn't come home? Please, I'm dying to know," he said sarcastically.

I told myself that I couldn't be weak with my answer. I had to show him that I was strong, and that this all wasn't effecting me as much as it really was. "Well, after you almost cut off the circulation in my arms and practically tossed me in the street, I wasn't about to go home to you." I was satisfied with my answer, and a small smile crept up my lips. It looked like both Alice and James were fuming with rage.

"What did you do to her?" Now she was yelling.

"It's none of your business," James said through his teeth.

"She's my best friend, of course it's my business. But, if you don't want me involved, you can deal with Emmet." Alice put her hands on her hips and stared at him. He could obviously tell she wasn't bluffing. James had always tried to stay on Emmet's good side, which was one of the reasons Emmet did not like him.

"Emmet does not to be involved. It's not as bad as Bella is making it out to be." He was pleading with his voice.

"Bella," Alice said, "please come here."

I slowly made my way towards Alice, keeping my eyes on my feet the whole way.

"Bella, show James what he did to you," she said firmly. I gently shook my head. I didn't want him to become angrier. Since I wouldn't voluntarily show him, Alice took my hands and flipped them so that he could see the scratches on my palms. Then she pulled the sleeves of my t-shirt up, exposing the bruises that had turned a violent purple overnight.

"Oh," was all James said. I roughly pulled my hands away from Alice's hold and placed them behind my back.

"Yeah, that's what you did to her. Now do you think that it was a wise choice for me to send her home?"

"Yes, I think so. I was just angry because she made a fool out of me in the restaurant." His tone indicated that that was all he really cared about.

"You are absurd," Alice said harshly. "Now, please get out of my house. Neither of us have any desire to be around you." She was right. I needed to get over all of this, and I couldn't do that with him around.

"Bella, I'm sorry. Can we please just work this out?" he pleaded as he took a step closer to me.

"No, James. We can't." My answer shocked him. He expected me to come running back to him once I got the chance. But, he was wrong.

He looked as if he was going to argue, but stopped when a phone started ringing. I followed the noise and found that it was coming from my phone in my jacket pocket. I needed an excuse to get away from this conversation, so I quickly answered it without looking at the called id.

"Hello?" I asked in what I hoped was a normal tone.

"Bella?" the velvety voice asked. My breathing hitched when I realized it was Edward.

"Y-yes" I stuttered.

"Hello, Bella. It's Edward, from last night." His voice was so calm and comforting. I could feel some of the worry actually leaving my body.

"Oh, hi. Good morning," I said. I could feel Alice and James watching me, but I didn't care.

"Good morning," he replied. "I was actually calling to see if you might want to go out to lunch today."

I couldn't answer. I was overwhelmed with happiness. It was extremely odd how someone that I hadn't even known for twenty-four hours could have this type of effect on me. He must have misinterpreted my silence, because he quickly rephrased his question.

"I mean, as friends of course. It's not a date." His voice was nervous, like he was scared of being rejected.

"Yes, that sounds like fun. Would you like me to meet you?" Happiness was pouring through my voice. I looked at Alice and saw her staring at me with a look of confusion, and then I looked at James to see him looking at me with a look of rage.

"I'll pick you up, if that's okay," he answered. That was actually a good idea. He would have the chance to meet Alice.

"Yeah, that's fine. Do you remember the address?" I questioned.

"Yes. So I'll pick you up around one? I would pick you up sooner but I have a meeting at work." His voice was appolgetic.

"That's fine. So I'll see you at one?" I hadn't meant for it to sound like a question, but I couldn't help it. I had to double check to see if this was real.

"Yes," I could sense a smile in his voice, and I instantly started grinning.

"Okay. Bye Edward," I said reluctantly. I didn't want to hang up, but I had to make sure that James left so I could start getting ready.

"Bye, Bella."

After hanging up the phone, I had to take a minute to calm myself down. I was feeling so strange. My ex boyfriend was in the other room, and though I knew that any normal girl would be crying her eyes out while listening to any lame excuse he could think of, I was the complete opposite. I wanted him out of the house so that I could have lunch with Edward.

"James, I think it's time for you to go," I said assertively, earning a huge smile from Alice.

"Who were you on the phone with?" he asked angrily.

"You lost the privledge to know the answer to that question when you broke up with me last night. You have no reason to be here, so please leave." I put my hands on hips to show him that I was serious.

"Whatever, Bella. You will be crawling back to me before you know it," he said as he headed for the door.

"Don't hold your breath!" I yelled after him. I felt so free. It was amazing.

"I have to say, I'm extremely proud of you," Alice chirped. "So, who was that on the phone? You seemed pretty happy to be talking to whoever it was."

"His name is Edward," I couldn't stop myself from smiling when I said his name. "After James pushed me and left, a cab pulled up next to me and the person inside told me to get it. Well, that person was Edward. He's amazing, Alice. He's coming to pick me up around one for lunch." I looked at Alice to see her clapping her hands and jumping up and down like a little girl.

"Oh! Can I get you ready? Please?" I couldn't deny her. She had a way of making me look beautiful, which was what I wanted today.

"Yes, you can," I replied. Alice stopped clapping and jumping and wrapped her little arms around my waist.

"Follow me. You can tell me about Edward while I'm getting you ready," she said excitedly.

I happily followed her into her room, jumping in my seat the whole time as I told her about Edward.

He had the strangest effect on me, but it was a good effect. The sound of his voice calmed me and his touch electrified me. I was so ecstatic for lunch, and when the doorbell finally rung I couldn't stop myself from squealing like a little girl.

Today was going to be a good day.


	4. Chapter 4

I quickly checked my appearance one last time before going to answer the door. Alice surprisingly had a blue summer dress that fit me perfectly. It was strapless and stopped a couple inches after the knee. It was showing more skin than usual, but I wanted to look my best, and Alice assured me that this dress was just the ticket. Alice had done nothing but brush my hair, wanting to keep my hair natural looking. I was wearing a light blush with just a little bit of mascara to accentuate my eyes. I was happy with how I looked, and hopefully Edward would feel the same way. I slipped on my sandals and practically ran down the stairs, being careful not to trip; I wasn't very graceful.

When I answered the door I was overwhelmed by Edward's amazing looks. He appeared to have no flaws, which was something that I was actually quite envious of. He was wearing black slacks with a white button up shirt that clung to his chesty, showing off his muscles rather likely. After I was done staring, I forced my eyes to travel up to his face, where I saw a huge smile and green eyes that seemed to be filled with desire. But it was the genuine type of desire, the one where it was almost as if he longed to be with me.

"Hello, Bella," he said softly. He reached for my hand and I gladly let him have it. He gently ran a thumb over my cuts, causing me to wince. His eyes were appologetic as he lifted my hand and gently kissed it. I could feel the blush rising up my cheeks.

"Hello to you too." I smiled as I noticed that he still had a hold of my hand.

"Are you ready to go?"

"I was actually wondering if you wanted to meet my friend Alice. She's anxious to see who made me get all dressed up," I laughed nervously.

He bent his head down to my hear and whispered, "You wouldn't have had to get all dressed up. You're beautiful." He quickly pulled his head up and asked in a louder tone where Alice was.

"Alice!" I yelled. I could hear the patter of her feet as she ran down the hallway, stopping dead in her tracks as she looked at Edward.

"Well, you must be Edward," she said.

Edward let go of my hand and walked towards Alice, using the hand that he held mine in to shake her hand. "That's me," he said smiling. Alice shot me a look that was just screaming, "Oh. My. God. You are so lucky." I had to bite my lip to stifle my laugh.

"I've heard an awful lot about you," she replied as she did a quick once over of him. She turned and nodded quickly, showing her approval.

Edward turned to look at me. "All good I hope."

"Oh, yes. Well, I best let you guys go on your date. So, I will see you later I hope Edward. It was nice meeting you."

"Bye, Alice. It was nice meeting you too." He turned to face me again, and the look in his eyes made me weak in the knees. "Ready to go?" he questioned.

"Yes. I'll see you tonight Alice." I gave her a quick hug and walked out of the door, grateful that the weather had done a complete 180 after last night. The sun was shining brightly, and I was hoping that my skin would get some color.

"So, where are we going?" I questioned.

"I was thinking The Tides. Is that okay?" His voice sounded nervous like it did on the phone.

"That's fine," I smiled. As we were walking to his car, I accidentally hit his hand with my own, and he quickly grabbed it. His touch felt so good, it was amazing.

"Alice is very welcoming," he chuckled.

"Yeah, she is. I have no idea how she has all of that energy. She likes you, you know," I instantly regretted saying that. Why would he need Alice to like him? It's not like we were going on a date.

"I'm glad." His answer surprised me, and I was instantly relaxed.

In a very gentlemanly fashion, Edward opened the door of his silver Volvo for me. I couldn't help but stare as I watched him walk to the driver side of the car. He was so graceful. When he got in the car, he instantly started a conversation.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Good, actually. I think getting out today will help." I looked at him to see a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay?" I questioned.

"Yes. More than okay as a matter of fact. But, as I said last night, I just want to know that you are okay." He took his right hand off the steering wheel and grabbed my left hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"I will be. You're definitely helping." And he was. His mere presence could calm me down like nothing else in this world.

He didn't answer me with words; his smile said it all. He was grateful that he was helping me.

When we got to the restaurant Edward opened my door for me and walked us inside hand in hand.

"Reservations under Cullen," he said to the host.

"You're awfully confident. How'd you know I wasn't going to say no?" I asked jokingly.

"I hoped that you would want to see me as much as I wanted to see you," he whispered in my ear as we were seated at our table. Of course, Edward pulled out my chair for me.

"Hello, my name is Marie and I'll be your waitress tonight. Can I start you guys off with some drinks?"

"I'll have an ice tea please," I replied. When I looked up from the menu I saw that she was paying no attention to me. Her eyes were glued on Edward, and a hint of jealously shot through my body.

"A coke please," Edward said as he quickly glanced at the waitress, but his eyes immediately left hers and found mine.

"Hmph," Marie said. I couldn't help but laugh quietly.

"So Bella, you never did get to tell me about yourself last night." I was disappointed when I realized that there wasn't much to say. I wasn't an interesting person.

"What would you like to know?"

"What do you do for a living?" He sounded truly interested, as if he wanted to know everything about me.

"I'm an English teacher for juniors and seniors in high school," I replied with pride. I loved my job.

"I bet you're the prettiest teacher any of those kids have ever seen," he replied with that crooked smile that made my heart melt.

"I would bet otherwise," I mumbled. "So, Edward. What do you do for a living?" With his looks, I wouldn't doubt if he said that he was a model.

"Well, just like you, I love English. I'm an editor." He spoke about his job like I spoke about mine. I could tell he loved what he did.

"Really? That's so cool. I thought about doing that for a while, but teaching is what I love most." I stopped myself, realizing that he would probably get bored if I continued talking.

"What do you like to do on your spare time?" he questioned as he grabbed my hand.

"I read a lot. Occasionally if an idea pops in my head I'll write, but the end result is never something to be proud of," I chuckled. "I like to go out with my friends, minus the whole getting ready part. I'm not big on getting all dolled up."

He was looking at me skeptically and asked, "Is that not what you did this morning?"

"Yes, I did. But only because last night I'm sure I looked horrible. I thought that I would try and make a better impression today."

"Last night you were beautiful, just as you are today." He smile and took a sip of his soda and we continued asking each other anything we could think of. I found out that he went to Stanford, he was twenty-four, his dad was a doctor and his mom was an interior designer. He loved to play piano and play baseball with his brother, Jasper. I told him that I went to college at Long Beach State University, I was twenty-two, my dad was a sheriff and my mom was an artist. I told him about my brother, Emmet, and he showed no sign of worry that I had an very overprotective older brother.

We continued talking for what felt like forever, and I was reluctant to tell him that I should be getting home. Alice had told me that she was expecting Emmet for dinner, so I wanted to put on something that would hide my bruises a little better, though Alice had done a wonderful job covering them up with cover up this afternoon.

The car ride to Alice's house was silent, but not awkward. It was actually very relaxing, and I let my body mold itself into the passenger seat. Edward hadn't let my hand go since he started asking me questions. This all seemed to surreal. We hadn't even known each other for a day, and I already felt as if I was tied to him in some way, like we were supposed to meet that night.

"Let me walk you to the door?" Edward asked when he stopped in front of Alice's house.

"Of course," I replied. I let myself out of the car this time, not wanting to make myself seem rude by sitting and waiting for him to open the door for me. Once we were standing side by side he immediately took my hand and walked me up the driveway and to the front door.

"I had an excellent time today, Bella." he said. I felt his thumb lightly tracing patterns on my hand. His touch was utterly intoxicating.

"Me too," I said, shyly.

"Can we do this again sometime?" he questioned. I had no idea why he even asked. Of course I would want to do this again.

"I think I can schedule you in," I said playfully.

"Thank you," was the last thing I heard before his lips gently pressed to mine. I had never in my life felt anything as good as that, and without thinking I tightly wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He continued to kiss me until I heard Emmet's jeep coming down the street. I instantly pulled away.

"I'm sorry, but my brother's coming," I managed to say after I caught my breath.

"It's quite alright," he said as he smiled my favorite crooked smile. I stood up on my tip toes and gave him a chaste kiss and lightly placed my hand on his face.

"Goodnight, Edward," I said sadly.

"Goodnight, Bella. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Of course," I replied. I gave him a quick hug before opening the door. I turned around once I was inside to wave goodbye and watch him get in his car. Luckily, he left right as Emmet pulled up to the house.

"Oh. My. God." Alice said out of nowhere. I turned to see her standing in the living room next to the window. She must have been spying on me.

"Yeah, I know," I laughed.

"He's amazing," she said loudly, causing me to sigh with agreement. He truly was, and I was starting to think that I was one of the luckiest girls in the world. I could feel myself smiling like an idiot, thinking back on my day. It had started out like crap, and was ending perfectly. All because of Edward Cullen.


	5. Chapter 5

"That had to be the sweetest thing I've ever seen!" Alice squealed.

"Is there a reason that you were spying on me?" I asked, pretending to be mad. Obviously, she could tell that I was faking.

"Yeah. I wanted to see if you were going to let that _hunk_ of a man walk you to the door after taking you on a date the day after he saves you from permanently ruining that dress in the rain, and _not _kiss him." Her answer was so blunt, I couldn't help but laugh. I was about to respond when I heard Emmet's heavy footsteps hit the porch. I had to go put some different clothes on. I didn't want him to see my bruises, nor did I want him to ask why I was dressed up.

"Be right back," I said as I ran up the stairs and into my room. Once I got inside, I remembered that I didn't have any clothes, and I started to panic. I knew that Alice wouldn't have any more clothes that would fit me. I walked to the dresser in front of my bed and started opening the drawers, hoping to find _something_. After finding nothing in the dresser, I ran into the closet, praying that she would have some old sweatpants and sweatshirts stashed somewhere. After not finding anything on the left side of the room, I turned to start searching through the right when I found a bunch of shopping bags on the floor. There was a note in front of them with my name on it.

_Bella,_

_I figured that you could use some clothes. No need to thank me. I know you'll like them. There is enough here to last you at least a week and a half. _

_Love, _

_Your personal shopper, Alice._

I laughed quietly after reading the letter. Though I hated when people spent money on me, I understood that she was just trying to help. I'm sure she knew that I had no desire to go back to James' house to get my stuff. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a white sweatshirt. I was surprised that Alice bought the sweatshirt instead of some fancy jacket like she usually bought, but then I realized that she probably understood I would want to hide my arms, and I wouldn't wear a dressy jacket around the house. As I left my room I could hear Alice and Emmet talking. It was nice to have my brother around. Because we were the only real family we had left, we were extremely close. I told him everything, as did he, and I knew I had to tell him about James. I had the feeling that he was going to want to kick James' ass, so I had to make sure that he was calm so he didn't overreact. I made my way down the stairs and spotted Emmet in the kitchen eating, of course. It was a good thing he worked out the way he did or else he would be as big as a house.

I was trying to sneak up on him, but that was ruined when I stepped on a creaky floor board. Emmet turned around and instantly pulled my into a bone crushing hug. "Hey there Squirt! I missed you!".

"I missed you too, but can you please let me go. You're starting to make it hard to breathe," I said as he chuckled.

"Oops," he replied.

"It's all good. I should be used to it by now." I laughed and playfully hitting him on the arm.

"Emmet was just telling me about this girl he met named Rosalie," Alice said from behind me. I hadn't noticed her when I entered the room, and her sudden statement caused me to jump a little.

"Oh, really?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. Even though Emmet and I didn't spend a bunch of time together, or talk everyday, this was something that I thought he would tell me. But, then again, I had yet to tell him about James.

"Yeah, but it's not serious. Yet," he replied sheepishly. He must've really liked this girl, because he never acted that way when he was talking about one of his love interests.

"Yet, huh? Do you think it will be?" I inquired. Not only was I interested in this Rosalie girl, but I was trying to delay the conversation that I knew wasn't going to end well.

"I think so. She's an amazing girl, and for some reason she keeps going out with me when I ask. She's absolutely gorgeous, too." he said proudly. Emmet was a sucker for pretty girls.

"I'm happy for you," I chirped. A huge smile spread across his face as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me to the living room. He sat down on the couch and pulled me to sit next to him.

"So," he started, "how are you and James." I drew in a sharp breath and looked him straight in the eye. I knew I was going to have to say something sooner or later. I was just hoping for later.

"Uh. . . Well, we aren't dating anymore," I said in a barely audible voice.

"Seriously? What happened? I thought you guys were going to get married."

"He thought that if he was going to get ahead in his career, he shouldn't have any distractions." I tried to re-phase it the best I could. That was basically the reason, but James had made it sound a lot worse.

"Are you serious?" Emmet asked as his voice seemed to get angrier.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter. I'm okay," I replied in a calm voice. Emmet reached to take my hand in his, and lightly rubbed against the cuts on my palm. His expression became confused as he turned my hand upwards so he could see what was on my hand.

"Bella," he whispered, "what happened?"

"Um. . ." I was starting to think that telling him wasn't such a good idea. I could just lie, and say that I tripped or something. He would easily believe that, considering how klutzy I am. But, then I remembered that Alice was in the room and she would not let me lie to him. She wanted Emmet to know.

"What happened?" he asked again as his voice seemed to rise.

"James and I got in a little argument is all, nothing serious." I was keeping myself calm, hoping that Emmet would follow the same suit.

"He put his hands on you?" he inquired harshly. I could feel his body tensing up next to me.

"Yes," I whispered.

"He must have pushed you for this to happen. It looks like you fell on asphalt."

"Yes," I repeated.

"Did he hurt you anywhere else?" His tone of voice was scary. He wasn't yelling, but he might as well have been. It was so harsh that it made my squirm in my seat. I decided that I would have to show him my bruises, because I didn't trust my voice to answer him. I stood up from the couch and pulled off my sweatshirt, exposing my arms to him.

"I'll kill him," Emmet hissed.

"No, Emmet. Don't overreact. I'm fine, I promise."

Emmet stood up, towering over me. "Bella, you are my little sister and this asshole has hurt you. Do you really expect me to not want to kick his ass?" he questioned.

"I don't want anyone in my life involved with him. I no longer speak to him, and I have no plans of doing such. Surprisingly, I'm getting over him a lot better than I thought I would, so if everyone would just act like he doesn't exist I can get over it much faster," I answered. He seemed to understand where I was coming from, which was a good thing.

"Fine, but if I see him walking on the street, I will not be held accountable for my actions." He said it jokingly, but I knew he wasn't joking. Emmet wouldn't go out of his way to see James, but if he saw him by coincidence there was no telling what he would do.

"Okay, Emmet," I laughed. I wrapped my skinny arms around his huge waist and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Squirt." I felt him press his lips to my hair and release his arms.

"Yeah, Bella is doing rather well on the whole, getting-over-my-boyfriend-who-I-should-have-left-a-long-time-ago-because-he-is-an-asshole, thing. But, then again, she has been a little distracted. I shot her a glare and she simply winked at me before she turned around and gracefully disappeared around the corner.

"What is she talking about?" Emmet asked, confused.

"Well . . . Um. . . The night that James and I broke up, and after our big fight, he left and it was raining. I had taken a cab to the restaurant so I didn't have a car to drive home. He had . . . Pushed me onto the ground and just as I was about to get up, a cab pulled up next to me and the person inside told me to get in. I was too out of it to disagree, so I got in. He ended up being an extremely nice man, and we actually went out to lunch today. But, we are just friends," I told him. I only saw him get mad once, and that was when I told that James had pushed me. But, other than that, he seemed calm.

"Oh, I see. Well, he better be nice to you, or I'm going to have to kick his ass as well," he joked. I was happy that he took that all so well. I was expecting him to lecture me about spending my time with another man right after the thing with James.

"He is nice, Emmet. But I'll make sure to relay the message." Emmet laughed at my response, and I couldn't help but do the same.

The rest of the night was spent watching T.V., or at least trying to. Alice and Emmet were arguing over what to watch most of the time. It was rather amusing, considering the huge size difference.

As I watched the two people I loved most in this world act as if they had no worries except missing some part of the show they wanted to watch, I felt myself feeling extremely lucky. Though my life had temporarily hit a rough spot, I knew that these people always had my back. They would never let me down, and that's all I needed in life.


	6. Chapter 6

I spent a couple more hours talking to Alice and Emmet, and it eventually became time for all of us to get settled down for work the next day. I was excited to go back to my job. Though I didn't like making myself the center of attention, I loved to teach. The kids were great too. Of course they fooled around at times, but I could never get mad at them. I knew that sitting in a classroom was not exactly fun, so a sudden outburst every now and then was something I allowed.

"Well, I guess I should get going," Emmet said as he stood up from the couch and stretched.

"Okay, Em. I'll see you later. I have to go to bed, I'm exhausted," Alice replied. She slowly walked over to Emmet, yawning as she did so, and gave him a light hug. She turned to me when she was done and did the same and walked off to her room.

"I'll see you later Em. Drive safe. I love you," I told him when we got to the door.

"I'll come back soon. I miss seeing you. You better promise me that you will be careful. I know that you say that you don't want anything to do with James, but sometimes it's hard to resist an ex," he told me worriedly.

"I promise, Emmet. I have no desire to have anything to do with him," I said. There was no lie in that sentence. James was out of my life for good.

"Good. I'll make sure to come and visit soon," he told me before he grabbed me and pulled me into one of his bone crushing hugs. "Love you sis," he whispered.

"Right back at cha big guy," I joked. I stood in the doorway and watched as he walked to his car, feeling a little upset. It was hard for me to watch him leave, only because I was scared if I was ever going to see him again. The day my parents died it had been like any other day. My brother and I went to school, came home, and did our homework. Our parents worked at the same place, so they just drove together. Emmet and I usually had to wait an hour after we got home before they did, so when we had been waiting for almost two hours we started to get worried. Emmet called their job and asked if they had a meeting or something that was keeping them, but the receptionist told him that they had left a long time ago. I remember sitting in front of the window, just waiting for them to pull up in the driveway. But, they never did. The police came to our house not fifteen minutes after Emmet called and told us that they had gotten into a car wreck and died. I remember Emmet's reaction so clearly, because it was so odd. He didn't show any emotion. Instead, he talked to the cop a little longer and after the cop left, Emmet just watched T.V. I, on the other hand, was balling my eyes out.

I couldn't think about that night anymore, or else I would be a complete wreck. I could already feel the tears that escaped my eyes start to run down my cheeks. I ran into the bathroom and splashed a handful of cold water on my face. I brushed my teeth and put on my pajamas and made my way into my room. I crawled into my bed and pulled the covers over my head. I grabbed the pillow beside me and clutched it as tightly as I could. I spent the majority of that night crying over my past.

I woke up with a screaming headache. I groaned in protest when I saw the faint signs of sunlight stream through my window. I could feel my hair sticking to my face and I was almost positive that I looked hideous. I looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it read 6:53. I had one hour and twenty-seven minutes before I had to go to work. I took a longer shower than usual, letting the hot water relax all of my muscles. After getting out, I quickly dried myself off and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The school that I taught at was extremely casual, and they actually preferred when the teacher dressed simply.

After changing and towel drying my hair, I put it up in a messy bun and applied light makeup; just enough so that you couldn't really notice the dark circles under my eyes. I made my way downstairs and found a note on the counter from Alice. It said that she had already gone to work, so I didn't have to wake her up. Alice had a very bad habit of sleeping in. I grabbed an apple out of the bowl on the counter and walked outside to see an empty driveway. _Ugh, my car is still at James', _I thought to myself. It seemed as if he had planned this out perfectly. His car was in the shop getting a dent fixed, so he used mine to go to the restaurant. He was probably using my car this very second, while I was standing outside my best friend's house looking like a complete idiot. I thought about calling Emmet to ask him for a ride, but he was already at work. I noticed that I didn't have very many people to call as I was scrolling through the names in my phone, but there was one that stuck out from the rest. _Edward._ I didn't know if he was at work, of if he would even want to give me a ride, but I needed an excuse to see him. Oddly enough, I missed him. I was arguing with myself over calling him and not calling him, but I finally gave in and hit the call button.

After three rings I heard his velvety voice on the other line. "Why, good morning, Bella," he said. His voice sounded rough, as if he had just woken up. It was extremely sexy.

"Morning, Edward. I hope I'm not disturbing you." I felt self conscious all of the sudden. What if he had a girl at his house?

"No, not at all. I'm actually happy you called. I missed you," he replied with a chuckle. I could feel the blush rising up my neck.

"I missed you too," I whispered. "Can I ask you a huge favor?" I questioned. I really hoped that he said yes, or else I would have to walk to work, and walking ten miles did not sound like fun.

"Of course. What is it?"

"Well, my car is still at James' house, and I kind of need a ride to work," I told him sheepishly.

"I'll be there in five minutes," was the last thing he said before hanging up.

I sat on the porch waiting for his shiny Volvo to pull up, and when it finally did I could feel my heart speeding up. He got out of the car with such grace; I couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

He walked towards me and was eventually so close I could feel his body heat radiating off of him.

"Thank you," I muttered.

"No problem," he said as he extended his hand towards mine. I happily grabbed it and let him walk me to the passenger side of the car. He opened my door for me, smiling the whole time. I could feel my insides melt. He was too good looking for his own good.

"So, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go to dinner with me tonight. I'm sorry if I'm sounding too forward, I just have been waiting to ask since I dropped you off last night and that kiss. Wow. But, who knows? I'm probably over analyzing the whole thing. I mean-" I silenced him with a kiss that started out soft, but quickly deepened.

"Of course, Edward." I told him when we finally broke apart. If things kept going the way they were, I would never get to work on time.

He smiled that heart melting crooked smile, and I couldn't help but kiss him again. Edward drove to my work in record time, my hand in his the whole time. There was something about him, and I couldn't quite figure out what it was, but it was pulling me towards him every time I saw him. It was much too early to call it love, but I knew it was heading that way. My heart sped up at the mere mention of his name and when his soft lips pressed against mine I found it hard to breathe. But, I had no idea how he felt. It seemed as if he liked me, but I didn't know if his feelings were as intense as mine. He seemed too perfect, like a dream, so it was unfathomable as to why he would want to be with me.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Edward's husky voice at my ear. A shiver went down my spine as I felt his breath on my neck. "We're here, love."

"Thank you," I said for the thousandth time as I turned to face him. His perfect face was closer than I had expected, causing my breathing to momentarily stop.

His lips closed the distance between us for what was one of the best kisses I had ever had. It was soft and gentle, but there were hidden intentions in it that made me blush profusely. I got out of the car, reluctantly and started to walk towards the school. I turned around quickly to see him in the same spot, smiling brightly. I waved once and then continued to walk. I could feel the huge smile on my face, and I had no intention of getting rid of it. Edward Cullen was making me one of the happiest girls in the world, and at this point, I wanted everyone to know.


	7. Author note

Okay, so I wanted to appologize for the delay with me posting the last chapter, and how short it was. I just started school and it's totally time consuming. I've got tons of homework, so it's hard to do that, and then write. Plus, I've been having major writers block, so if you guys have any suggestions, it might help. But, as far as the length of the last chapter is, I just felt bad for not updating for a few days, so I decided that posting something was better than posting nothing. I promise the upcoming chapters will be regular length. But, my posting won't be consistent. I will post when I can get time in to write something. So yeah, any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and you guys are totally awesome. Lol. I just thought that you should know. Your reviews are the shizzzzz. Hahahah.


	8. Chapter 7

When I walked into the school, I was instantly bombarded by Mike Newton, a fellow teacher. He was a nice guy, but he definitely was not my type. And, he was way too persistent. Even when James and I were dating, he would try and get me to go on a date with him.

"Hey, Bella," he said.

"Hi, Mike. How are you?" I didn't exactly want to talk to him, but I didn't want to be rude either. Class was going to start soon, so I wouldn't have to speak to him for that long.

"I'm okay. You know, Monday blues," he laughed loudly, causing some people passing to give him a look like he was insane.

"Yeah," I replied softly. I looked up at the clock in the hallway and saw that there was only five minutes until class. Thank god. "Well, I guess I'll talk to you later," I said quickly. I barely heard him reply as I went into my classroom and shut the door. My class was one-of-a-kind. We didn't only read and write, but we had discussions about things that would easily have many different opinions. I liked to let my students say what they felt without feeling judged or afraid. Outside of class, they may act completely different, but once they were inside, they were some of the brightest kids I had ever met. Today's discussion was going to be about the meaning of love. I figured it was appropriate due to the feeling that I had been having the last couple of days, though I was almost positive it hadn't progressed that much. I had only known Edward for about two days. It would be insane to say that I loved him.

The first student to walk into class was Jessica Stanley. She was an extremely intelligent girl, but she often made herself look stupid on purpose. I could only assume that she thought that the boys that she had her eye on liked that sort of thing, but I don't know why they would.

"Hey, Ms. Swan. How was your weekend?" Jessica asked in an abnormally high voice.

"Hello, Jessica. It was good," I could feel myself blushing when I started thinking of how good it really was. "What about you?"

"It was great! I went on a date with this boy named, Jacob Black. He's new here. I think he might even be in this class. But, anyways, I went to La Push with Lauren and he and his friends were there. You know, if you were younger, you would _so_ like him. Anywho, he was supposed to go to school in La Push, but he got kicked out. Totally stupid. I actually forget why. I think it is because he got in a fight. Why someone would mess with him, I have no idea." Jessica kept babbling, and I wasn't paying any attention. She lost me at "_You know, if you were younger, you would so like him._" Sometimes, she could say some of the weirdest things. As she kept talking, the rest of the class showed up. Luckily, she was silenced with the second bell. Once everyone was seated, I began to talk.

"Hey guys," I said as I walked to the white board to start writing some of the things for today's discussion.

"What's up, Ms. Swan?" Tyler said. Everyone else had responded to the question, but he decided to be louder than the rest of the class.

"Not much, Tyler. And you?"

"Eh. You know. Same old shit, different day," he replied. I allowed cussing in my class, and he used that to it's full advantage. Cussing didn't bother me, and it was such a normalcy in today's language.

"I see," I smiled. "So," I said in a louder voice so I could get the class' attention, "today we are going to be having a discussion about what you guys think is the meaning of love." I didn't hear any grunts from the students, so I was assuming that this was an okay topic.

Just when I was about to continue talking, a tall, muscular boy walked into the classroom. He had dark, tan skin and his hair and eyes were both dark. "Sorry. My name is Jacob Black. I was in the office getting all my shit taken care of." He handed me his tardy slip and looked around the room for a open seat.

"Well, I'm glad you are in this class, Jacob. You can have a seat next to Jessica." I could see the huge smile on her face, and I knew I made her happy. Hopefully she would actually be paying attention.

"Anyways, as I was saying, I want you guys to tell me what you think love really is. After talking, I want you guys to start an essay telling me what you think it is, and what has influenced you to think this way." I heard a few grunts when I mentioned the essay, but I was expecting that.

"I don't get what you're saying," Tyler said.

"Okay. All I want you to do today is tell me what you think love is. I'm going to write in on the board and we are going to see how many different views there are. Then, after today, I want you to start an essay telling me your views on it, and why you think this way." He nodded in understanding and I asked if anyone else had anymore questions. Nobody answered, so I started the discussion by picking a random person. I decided to pick Jacob. He was new, so I was interested in the way he thought. I knew everyone else pretty well.

"I think love is a load of crap," he said, simply. He said it with no emotion, and I could tell that he wasn't going to give me a reason. But, when he did say it, I saw a look of hurt on Jessica's face. I didn't bother asking him any more questions because I knew he wasn't going to participate. I continued to ask the other students, and I found that there were more opinions than I had expected. After both of my classes I packed up my things and was about to go home when I realized, for the second time that day, that I didn't have a ride. This was getting really frustrating. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to call Alice and I noticed I had one unread text message. I saw it was from Edward and there was no stopping my smile.

_Call me when you need a ride home. _

It was so simple, but it still made my heart beat way too fast. I wanted to see him really bad, so I dialed his number and called him.

"Bella," he said on the second ring.

"Hello, Edward," I replied sweetly.

"I miss you. Do you need a ride?" I could sense that he was smiling on the other line, and it made my knees weak just thinking about it.

"I miss you too. Do you mind giving me one?" I knew I didn't have to ask, but I didn't want him to feel like he was expected to help me like that. I mean, we weren't even dating. Were we? That was something that had been bothering me all day, so I knew I had to ask him soon.

"Of course not. I'll be there soon." And then he hung up. With his crazy driving, he should have been arriving around 5 minutes. 10 minutes tops. While I was waiting, I sat on the bench in front of the school and just people watched. There was so many different types of people, it was amazing. But, then I told myself that that was only their appearance. People that would come across as two total opposites, could end up having more in common than most people. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even see Edward come up and sit next to me.

"Hey, beautiful," he whispered in my ear, causing me to jump.

"Oh! Hello. I didn't even see you." I was embarrassed, and I knew he could tell by the look on his face.

"It's okay. You're cute when you're thinking," he joked.

"Why thank you," I replied as I got up from the bench. I reached out my hand and he happily took it. His touch sent a shock through my body. It felt so good.

The car ride home was fairly silent, but it was a comfortable silence. He held my hand the whole way, which was enough for me.

When we got to Alice's house I noticed that Alice wasn't home. She had mentioned possibly going out with someone, so that was probably where she was. "Alice isn't here," I stated. I looked over at Edward and saw that he had a sneaky yet totally sexy grin on his face. I couldn't help but lean over the center console and kiss him.

"Let's go inside," I managed to say when his lips left mine, only to kiss my neck.

"Yeah." Edward broke us apart and ran over to the passenger side and opened my door. His lips were on mine before I even had a chance to stand up. He carried me into the house and set me down on the couch lightly. He was lying on top of me so that I somehow felt every inch of his body on mine, but he wasn't crushing me. We continued to kiss until we couldn't breath anymore. I reluctantly pulled away and Edward readjusted himself so he was lying on his side next to me. He lightly draped his arm over my waist and pulled me against his chest. I was so content in his arms. I felt safe from everyone and everything. It was a feeling that made me never want to leave.

"Bella, can I ask you something?" he whispered against my neck.

"Of course," I replied.

"Will you be my girlfriend? I'm sorry I couldn't find a better way of asking or anything, but its been killing me that you aren't. But, I understand if you say no. I mean, you and your boyfriend just broke up two days ago." He was so adorable when he was babbling, but I silenced him with a kiss.

"I know that it would seem weird if I said yes even though James and I just broke up, but I can't deny the feelings that I have for you. I can't promise that I will always been emotionally together, if you know what I mean, but if you can deal with that, then yes. I would love to be your girlfriend," I replied. I felt so weird saying yes, only because of the little amount of time that James and I had been broken up. But, Edward seemed to make getting over him go by way faster than I could have ever imagined.

"Thank you, Bella," he said before giving me one last kiss. He pulled my closer to his chest and we just laid there. On the outside, I seemed calm. But, on the inside I was jumping with joy. I, Isabella Swan, was dating Edward Cullen. I closed my eyes, drifting


	9. Chapter 8

**A.N/ Okay, first off I want to appologize for the late update. I was planning on updating last weeked, but then I got last minute plans. I also want to say sorry for the length of this chapter. I am cramed with HW at the moment, but I wanted you guys to have something to read. Please RxR and let me know what you think. :D**

The next couple of days went the same. I went to work, dealt with the nonchalant attitude of Jacob Black, and came home to Edward. He had been staying with me at Alice's a lot and he was often there before I got home from work. It was nice to walk in the door and immediately fall into his arms. It was so relaxing.

"Hello, Bella," I heard an all too familiar voice from behind me when I walked into the house after I got home. I turned around and saw James with his hand stuffed in his pockets and an angry expression on his face. I quickly did a once over of the living room and kitchen, trying to see if anyone else was here.

"Hi," I whispered. I could feel the sweat starting to form at my hairline. My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to jump out of my chest.

"We need to talk," he said harshly.

"What about?" I questioned. My knees were shaking with fear and I grabbed onto the counter next to me for support. I tried to move a step away from him without him noticing, but he did and took one towards me so that we were the same distance apart as when we started.

"Us. I know that you are just being stubborn, and that's why you haven't come home. I mean, why else would you leave your stuff there?" he asked harshly. I could see his hands clenched in fists, the veins looking as if they were about to pop.

"I was planning on getting it tomorrow," I told him. My voice broke at the very end because I was so scared. After the night at the restaurant, I wasn't able to look at him without a feeling of fear.

"Oh really? With who? That little pixie friend of yours?" His tone was sarcastic, which should have been a warning for me to not react to his statement, but something inside me enraged an irrational jolt of bravery as I answered him.

"No, actually. With my boyfriend. Edward." I instantly regretted saying that, because I knew his reaction wasn't going to be pretty. I saw his jaw clench as he took a step closer to me. I instantly stepped back but was stopped when he grabbed my arm in the same place he had at the restaurant. His grip was so hard that tears started to form in my eyes.

"You slut," he spat at me. His grip was only getting tired and I could feel my skin burn. "You can't have moved on already. You just desperate to wrap your skinny little legs around someone?" he questioned as he pulled me against his chest. I hit him with such force that the breathe was knocked out of me.

"James, please let go," I pleaded as the tears ran down my face.

He responded by tightening his grip again.

"Please. It hurts," I said as fiercely as I could.

"Shut up," he replied. A sob escaped my chest and I saw his face get red with anger. His hand that wasn't gripping my arm rose in the air and I shut my eyes so I didn't see what I knew was coming. I was counting the seconds until I felt the harsh contact of his hand and my face, and I was at two seconds when I heard the front door open. I took a sharp intake of breathe and prayed that it was Edward. God must have been listening because not a second later I heard his velvet voice calling my name.

"Shit," James said. He put his hand at his side at let go of my arm. He looked around the room, trying to find an escape I assumed, and I figured that he wouldn't have the guts to do anything to me with Edward in the house, so I called Edward's name and told him I was in the kitchen. James looked at me with such anger I stumbled backwards.

"Bella," Edward said with a smile on his face until he actually looked at mine. He was totally oblivious to James, all he saw was me. "What happened to you?" he asked worriedly. When I didn't answer he looked around the room and I heard a growl escape his chest when his eyes landed on James. "Did you do this to her?" he asked. His voice was relatively calm, but you could tell that he wanted nothing more than to give James what he deserved.

"And if I did?" James retorted in a smartass tone of voice. Edward's calm composure completely left him as he took two long strides towards James. Their faces were only inches apart.

"Don't you ever put your hands on her." Edward hissed.

"You're just pissed because I got her to wrap her legs around me before you did. That's all she's good for, anyhow. You'll get bored with her. I know I did," James spat back. It hurt so much to hear something like that, but not nearly as much as the pain James must have been feeling when Edward punched him square in the jaw. I was too stunned to move. I had never seen this side of Edward, but I knew that I had to get over the astonishment and get in between them before something really bad happened. I quickly got in front of Edward and put my hands on his chest and shot him a pleading look. He took deep breath and a step backwards. James stumbled from his position on the ground with a hand clenching the spot that Edward punched him.

"You're going to regret that," he said before he ran out of the house and into his car. I had noticed that he wasn't driving my car anymore, which meant that mine was sitting at his house along with all of my other crap that I needed to get.

Edward and I stood in silence for what felt like forever. I knew he wasn't mad at me, but I knew that he was mad in general, and that wasn't something that I was used to. I had never seen this side of him before.

"Bella," he whispered as he took a cautious step towards me. He had his hands in front of him, as if to show that he wasn't dangerous. I took one of his hands in mine and took a step towards him as well. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be. He deserved it." Though I wasn't a fan of violence, James was an exception.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked frantically. He took his hand away from mine and placed them both carefully on my face.

"I'm okay," I replied. I could feel my knees going weak as I looked into his eyes. There was so much emotion, it was overwhelming.

"Are you sure?" he questioned again. I answered him with a kiss. He took his hands off my face and trailed them down my arms, letting them rest on my hips. I placed my hands on the back of his neck and quickly let them disappear in his hair. He gently pushed my backwards until I was trapped in between the counter and him. He pulled away and smiled sexily before placing his hands at the bottom of my shirt, letting them inch their way up. I knew that I was blushing profusely, and I kissed him again so he didn't get to see the bright red tint to my cheeks.

We continued to kiss and slowly made our way to the couch. His hands returned to the bottom of my shirt, and they were just under my breasts when Alice ran in the house. I could hear her labored breathing, and in between breaths she managed to say, "Oh my god, Bella. You need to get to James house, and quick."


	10. Chapter 9

**So, I pretty much love and hate this chapter. As always, I'm sorry for the late update. But, I told myself I'd update today, and I have a lot on my mind, which is why it's not that good. Please tell me what you think. Don't sugar coat anything. I need to know if I'm doing something wrong. Hhaha.**

**I'd also like to thank all my reviewers, people who have favorited the story and me, and everyone who added this to their alerts. You guys are awesome! :D**

After I regained my composure after kissing Edward, I jumped off the couch and practically ran over to Alice who was standing in the doorway, still trying to catch her breath.

"Alice," I said frantically, "what happened?"

"Your stuff. It's ruined," she whispered. It took me a second to completely register what she had said. But, when I did, I felt like breaking down in tears. Sure, some of my stuff wasn't that important, but it was still mine. And the fact that he would ruin in, and then make it noticeable to everyone hurt, a lot.

"Bella," Edward said as he walked up behind me. He lightly placed his hand on my hip and pulled me into his chest.

"I can't go there. He's obviously angry, and my going there would only upset the situation. Who knows what else he'll do?" I was honestly scared to go there.

"I'll go with you, Bella. Nothing will happen to you," Edward assured me.

"I will just wait until he calms down a bit. I'd also like to take Emmet with me. James is never an ass with him around." I laughed lightly, trying to ease the mood, but it didn't work.

"I can go with you tomorrow if you'd like. I know I'm not your brother, but I think it'd be best to get the rest of your things before he goes crazy again," Edward said. I leaned into his chest and thought about it for a second. Maybe I could get him and Emmet to go. It'd be kind of weird to have my boyfriend and my brother to meet in such a crappy situation, but they had to meet sometime.

"I would like that. I think I'm going to call Emmet and see if he'd like to go as well." I felt Edward stiffen behind me, and I turned my head slightly to see a worried look on his face. He quickly returned back to normal, before it was even more noticeable.

"So, I know this is kind of random, but are you two dating?" Alice asked. Leave it up to Alice to break the ice with such an off topic question.

"Yes, we are," Edward answered proudly. I couldn't help but smile. Being able to say that I was his girlfriend was a great feeling.

"Aww. How cute!" Alice squealed.

"Thanks, Alice." I knew once Edward left I would be getting the third degree from her. She was bound to ask questions about everything, some topics that were pretty embarrassing. I could feel myself blush just thinking about what was to come.

"Well, I have a date to go to. Bella, I'm really sorry about what happened." She walked towards me and gave me a tight hug. What happened tonight was going to be another thing she'd want to talk about.

"It's okay, Alice," I said against her hair. "But who have you been going out with?" I asked. She never really talked about him, and I never really asked. But, they seemed to be getting pretty serious.

"His name is Jasper. I think he's going to come over here in a couple of days so you guys can meet. Edward, you should come too, and we can call Emmet and have him bring that woman he was talking about." I had to smile at her enthusiasm. Something that would originate as one person meeting another, turned into a party in the matter of five seconds.

"That sounds like fun," I told her.

"Yay!" she said, clapping her hands together.

As she ran down the hallway towards her room, I had to laugh. I loved Alice, and all of her little kid ways.

"So, I get to meet your brother?" Edward asked

"Only if you want to," I told him as I turned around to face him.

"Of course I do," he told me. He pulled me closer to his chest.

"Thank you, Edward." I stretched up on my tip toes to give him a light kiss.

"Bella, I wanted to ask you something. I understand if you say no, but after tonight I'm kind of worried."

"What's wrong?" I asked frantically. He probably wanted nothing to do with me. I mean, I didn't blame him. Who wanted to date a girl with a psycho ex?

"Don't worry, love. It's nothing bad. I was just wondering if you would mind if I stayed here, like for the night. I can sleep on the couch, but I'd feel better if I knew that you had someone making sure you were safe," he told me. I felt my stomach doing flips. Of course I wanted him to stay, but he would not be sleeping on the couch.

"Of course, Edward. I'd love for you to stay," I answered giving him a sexy smile. He returned it with one of his own, and I thought I was going to faint.

"Am I going to have to sleep on the couch?" he asked in a husky voice. He stepped closer to me and his eyes were burning a whole through me.

"That depends," I answered weakly.

"On what, my love?"

"On if you're good. I don't usually 'sleep' with anyone this soon. I might make an exception for you though."

"I'll behave," he promised.

"Okay, then." I smiled a huge, dorky smile as I thought of Edward sleeping in my bed with me.

"Bella, I wanted to tell you something. I'm moving so fast right now, but it's impossible for me to slow down." All of the sudden, he was nervous. I could see it in his face and hear it in his voice.

"What?" I questioned.

"Please, don't answer me because you think you have to. It's just that ever since I saw you that night, so hurt and broken, but still so strong, I knew there was something different about you. And then, after spending just five minutes with you, I knew I was right. What I'm trying to say is, though we haven't even been a real couple for two days, I've felt this way ever since I laid eyes on you. Bella, I. . . I lo. . . I love you," he said.

My world started spinning. He couldn't be serious. I knew that I was feeling something, something strong, and I knew that I could call it love, but how could he feel the same way? I was so normal compared to him.

But then I looked into his eyes and saw so much emotion, I knew he wasn't lying.

"I love you, too, Edward." I replied.

No matter how much chaos was in my life at the moment, I had one thing keeping me sane, and that was Edward Cullen.

The man I loved.

**Next chapter won't be as lovey. Edward and Emmet meet. Dun dun dun. Hahha.**


	11. Chapter 10

I fell asleep with Edward by my side that night. I felt safe, content, and in love. I pushed back all thoughts of James' and the chaos that revolved around him. Edward was here, and that was all that mattered.

I awoke to the ringing of my cell phone. Alice insisted I had an actual song for a ring tone, so "When I Grow Up" by the Pussycat Dolls was playing at eight in the morning. You can say that I wasn't in the best mood when I answered the phone.

"Hello?" I asked groggily. I hadn't even bothered to look at the caller I.D.

"Hey, Bells. You ready to get your stuff today?" the voice on the other line said. It didn't take me very long to realize it was Emmet.

"Hey, Em. Yeah, I guess. I'm bringing Edward, too." Emmet knew that I was talking to someone, but he didn't know that Edward and I were dating. I was kind of scared for his reaction.

"Edward? Is that the guy you've been hanging out with?" he questioned.

"Yeah. We're . . . um . . . Kind of dating." I whispered the last part, hoping that he wouldn't hear it.

"Are you shitting me? You just got dumped by James and you're already jumping into another relationship?!" His voice was angry, which was somewhat understandable. He was worried about me, and I couldn't be mad at him for that.

"I know it sounds bad, but he's different, Me. You just have to see for yourself. You'll like him, I promise." I had no doubt in my mind that Emmet and Edward would get along. But, I knew that it might take a while for them to become friends, just because Emmet would be making sure that Edward wasn't going to hurt me like James did.

"If you say so, Bells. But, if he hurts you I'm going to kick his ass."

"Yeah, I know. I'll meet you there at twelve, okay?" I asked.

"That sounds good. See you later."

I plopped back down on my bed, but I couldn't sleep. I had too many thoughts running through my mind. I wasn't particularly happy about having to go see James again, and I was worrying about Emmet's behavior towards Edward. I was hoping he would be a little civil.

"Morning, love," Edward whispered. The sound of his voice startled me, which caused me to jump. I instantly blushed in embarrassment.

"Good morning," I answered. "How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully," he replied. He sat up slowly and turned to face me. Half of his body was covering mine and my breathing was speeding up at an embarrassing rate.

"Well, that's good," I managed to reply.

"Mmm…" was the last thing he said before his lips crashed to mine in a very sweet kiss. When he pulled away he had a huge grin on his face. He looked so beautiful when he smiled like that. I, on the other hand, probably looked completely goofy with the smile that was spread across my face.

"Are you coming with me today?" I questioned. He had told me that he was, but I just wanted to make sure.

"Of course. I overheard your conversation with your brother. I take it he's not particularly happy that you and I are dating?"

"He has nothing against you personally. He just worries about me. He doesn't want me to go through what I went through with James again."

Edward gently placed his hand on my cheek and a very serious look struck his face.

"Bella," he said, "I will never do to you what he did. I love you."

"I love you too, Edward." I lightly placed a kiss on his cheeks and pulled away. Even the simplest of kisses made me weak in the knees, and if I was going to get ready to face what was ahead of me, I needed to be all there.

I got off the bed and grabbed some jeans and a tank top before going in the bathroom to change. When I came out, Edward was in a different shirt and jeans.

"I brought some clothes with me yesterday," he said before I had time to question him.

"Oh, I see. Are you planning on staying longer?" I asked. I really hoped that he would say yes. I felt so safe and content having Edward at my house.

"If you'd like," he replied with a hopeful look on his face. Even if I didn't want him to stay, there was no way I could deny his expression.

"Duh," I answered sarcastically.

Edward laughed and grabbed my hand lightly. "Well that's good. Now, we better get going," he said. I took a deep breath and let him lead me to his car.

The drive was silent, but not awkward. I was silently hoping that James wouldn't be there, and that my brother would act politely as he could manage towards Edward.

When we finally pulled up at James' house my brother was on the sidewalk arguing with James. Great.

"Look, man. She doesn't want anything to do with you, so just let us get her stuff and then we'll leave," Emmet said fiercely. I was surprised that James hadn't given in already. He was always scared of Emmet when we were dating.

"She will come back to me, which is why you can't take her stuff!" James retaliated.

"James," I said timidly, "I'm not coming back to you. Just please let me get my stuff and then we'll leave you alone." I felt Edward place his hand on my lower back, and another on my side, pulling me closer to him.

"Don't you love me anymore, Bella? After all we shared? I know I screwed up, but you can't say that you don't love me anymore."

I wasn't sure how to answer him. A part of me still cared for him, only because we were together for so long, and we shared so much. But, now I had Edward.

"James, just let me get my things," I replied.

"No!" he yelled. Edward took a step in front of me just as Emmet took a step towards James.

"I've wanted to kick your ass ever since my sister started dating you. That's a lot of built up anger, man. I suggest you move before I take it all out on you now." Emmet's eyes became dark and I could see him clenching his fists and jaw.

"This isn't over, Bella. I hope you know that. You will regret leaving me," James said as he stormed to his car and drove away. I didn't know what to make of his threat. I wished that I could say that nothing was going to happen, but I wasn't sure. James was not the person that he was when we started dating. He turned into someone malicious and hateful. Who knew what he was capable of now?

"Well, uh . . . let's get my stuff," I said shyly.

I didn't have a lot of items, so it didn't take long to get them all. The only things I was bringing to Alice's were my pictures, books, and clothes. Everything else James' could do as he please with. I just wanted out of his house.

"Bella, are you going to be okay?" Emmet asked. I hadn't talked the whole time we were gathering my things, so I knew that he could tell that something was the matter.

"Yeah. So, how do you like Edward?" I asked.

"He's pretty cool. You were off in la-la land when we were talking so I guess you didn't notice. We got along pretty well," he answered. A smile broke across my face as I stood on my toes to wrap my arms around his neck.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Of course, Bella," he replied just as Edward walked into the room. I let go of Emmet and made my way over to Edward.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

We said our goodbye's to Emmet and got in Edward's car and drove away. We made small talk on the way home, but we didn't talk about the threats James had made. He knew that I didn't want to talk about it, but I also knew that sooner or later I was going to have to.

When we got home I noticed Alice wasn't there. She hadn't been home a lot lately, ever since she started seeing her mystery man. She was going to have to introduce him soon.

I walked up to the front door and noticed a note taped on it. It had my name written on the back so I pulled it off and read it.

Bella,

You shouldn't have left. You have caused me more pain than any man should deserve. Now, you are going to feel it too.

James

I dropped the note immediately, and I could feel the tears brim my eyes. His threats were not false. He actually had the intentions of hurting me, or my loved ones.

Edward picked up the note and read it to himself. I could feel the anger radiating off of him as he pulled me into his arms.

"It's going to be okay, Bella. I won't let him hurt you," he said. I wanted to believe him, but I just couldn't.

James had a plan to hurt me, and he wasn't going to stop until he succeeded.


	12. Chapter 11

The next couple of days went by rather smoothly. Edward continued to stay at Alice's house with me, and we were starting to grow more and more as a couple. There was no denying the fact that we loved each other.

I was sitting at the kitchen table, grading my class' tests when my phone rang. I had been sitting in complete silence up until that point, so the sudden noise cause me to jump in my seat. I sighed happily as I saw 'Edward' flashing on the screen. I hadn't talked to him in what seemed like forever, though in reality it was about 5 hours.

"Hey there," I answered.

"Hello, beautiful. What are you up to?" he asked.

"I'm just grading some tests. You?"

"Nothing, actually. I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight, and maybe stay at my house afterwards." Inside, I was jumping for joy like a little kid. Edward and I hadn't gone out on a date as an official couple, and the thought of being able to show everyone that he was the man that I was dating was exciting.

"That sounds like fun," I replied, trying to keep my voice normal.

"Okay, so I'll pick you up around seven?"

I quickly glanced at the clock and saw that it was 5:30. That gave me just enough time to make myself look somewhat worthy of dating someone with looks like Edward's.

"Sounds good," I replied.

"I miss you, Bella," he said sadly. I couldn't help but laugh, since the last time we saw each other was this morning. The way he said it made it sound like we hadn't seen each other for months. However, I couldn't say I didn't feel the same. I wanted nothing more than to have him with me.

"I miss you too."

"Well, we'll just have to make up for lost time then, won't we?" he asked sexily. I could feel the blush creeping up my cheeks and I had to give myself a few moments to regain my composure.

"Maybe, if you're lucky," I teased.

I could hear him laugh softly and then he hung up. I shook my head and rolled my eyes and continued to grade the tests. Once I was done, I ran into the bathroom to get myself ready. I had taken a shower when I got home from work, so I only needed to do my makeup and slightly curl my hair. I was almost done when Alice came running in.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Edward wants to take me out, and I'm staying at his house afterwards," I told her.

"Ohh. . .how cute," she gushed.

"Whatever. So, what are your plans for the night?" I asked suggestively. I could see her blushing and I knew that whatever it was involved her mystery man.

"Jasper is coming over," she replied sheepishly.

"Oh, so that's his name? When am I going to meet this guy?" I questioned.

"How about this weekend? We can double date. Maybe we can even get Emmet and his new lady to come," she answered excitedly. Alice got excited over the simplest things, such as making plans for lunch, but that's why I loved her. We balanced each other out, with my shy and reserved side, and her crazy and social side.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," I told her as I finished with the last curl. I gave one last look before turning to Alice, asking for her opinion.

"You're gorgeous, Bella. What are you going to wear?"

Luckily, I had already picked it out, so I didn't have to worry about Alice going crazy helping me.

"I have a dark blue dress and these really cute black heels," I told her. I saw a look of surprise hit her face.

"Wow. Since when did you like to buy stuff like that?" She knew me all too well. I never really like buying dressy clothes like that.

"Well, since Edward and I got together I had to get something that would make me look nice, since I'm so plain compared to him," I told her.

"Shut up, Bella. You could wear sweats and a sweatshirt and you would still be breathtaking, and you know that," she said sternly.

"Thank you," I said shyly. I never really liked getting compliments; I never felt worthy of being called pretty or beautiful, but it still made me happy.

"No problem. Now, go and get ready. When is he coming?"

"Seven," I replied.

"Hurry! It's six forty-five. He's going to be early," she answered confidently. Alice often got what she was sure were premonitions, and since they were usually always right, I didn't argue with her. I quickly made my way into my room and slipped on the dress and the shoes right when Edward rung the doorbell. I shot a look at my clock. Six fifty-two. She was right again.

As I walked down the stairs I heard Edward and Alice making small talk. I couldn't help but smile. It was a comforting feeling to know that they actually got along.

When Edward's eyes landed on me, his expression instantly changed. He looked at me as if I was the only person in the room, in the world, even.

I made my way over to his side and he instantly put one hand on my waist, pulling me closer to him. "You look beautiful, my love," he whispered. I looked up at him and smiled, lightly placing a kiss on his cheek.

"You don't look so bad yourself," I answered. That statement was a complete understatement. He looked amazing. He was wearing a slacks and a button up t-shirt with the first couple buttons undone.

"We should get going," he said. I looked at Alice and gave her a light hug.

"Have fun tonight," I said teasingly. She lightly hit me on the arm and practically pushed us out of the house. The laugh that escaped my lips was uncontrollable. I had always joked with Alice like that, and I loved her reactions.

"So, where are we going?" I asked Edward once we were in his car.

"It's a surprise," he told me.

We didn't talk the whole way to our destination. I was too busy trying to figure out where exactly that was. I had come up with about 13 possibilities when Edward pulled over one the side of the road. This was definitely not one of my guesses.

When he let me out of the car he immediately put a blind fold over my eyes and grabbed my hand, leading me to wherever we were headed next. I tried to protest, but I was silenced with a kiss.

It seemed like forever before we stopped and Edward pulled the blindfold off my eyes. My jaw instantly hit the floor when I could see again. Edward had taken me to a secluded part of town, right next to one of the most beautiful ponds I had ever seen. It was surrounded by trees and greenest grass. There was a blanket placed right on the shore with two candles in the center. There was also a picnic basket filled with what I assumed was our dinner.

I turned to look at Edward and instantly wrapped my arms around his neck. "Thank you so much, Edward. This is beautiful."

"You're welcome, love. You should thank Alice, too. She helped."

I couldn't believe it. When I told Alice about our date, she acted as if she knew nothing.

Edward led us to the blanket and started taking out the food. There was spaghetti and salad, my favorite.

We ate in silence, just looking at each other. The candlelight made him look even more irresistible, and it took all I had in me to not jump him right there. Once we were finished, he started to pull out dessert, but I couldn't hold my patience any longer.

"Why don't we skip dessert?" I asked in what I hoped was a sexy voice. Edward clearly got the message as he closed the space between us and captured my lips in a breathtaking kiss. The kiss deepened as he lightly pushed me on the blanket and licked my bottom lip. I instantly granted him entrance as our tongues began to explore each other's mouths yet again. I dropped my hands to the buttons on his shirt as I began fumbling with them.

"Let's go home," he said. I couldn't argue as I let him pull me up and lead me to his car.

"What about the stuff?" I asked.

"I can get it tomorrow. Nobody comes here, anyways," he answered.

He opened my door for me and practically ran to his. He drove like a maniac to his house, and I was too distracted by the feelings pulsing through me to really notice how nice his house was, but I got the idea. I'd have to check it out in the morning.

Once he shut the door and locked it he captured my lips in another knee weakening kiss. He placed his arm under my knees and picked me up bridal style without breaking the kiss. I was so into the kiss; I barely noticed when he placed me on his bed. I returned my hands to his chest and managed to unbutton is and take it off. I threw it across the room and let my hands roam his chest just as his lips started to explore my neck and jaw. I couldn't suppress the moan that escaped my lips. His hands made their way to my back and lightly tugged at the zipper, asking for permission to continue. I happily obliged as I arched my back, allowing him to discard of my dress easier. Once it was off her tossed it the same way I had thrown his shirt. I was suddenly self conscious. I was laying in nothing my but my lace strapless blue bra and matching underwear. I tried to pull myself against him so he couldn't continue to look, but he stopped me.

"You're breathtaking, love," he assured me. I lay back down on the bed and decided that he was wearing too many clothes. My hands flew to his belt and hastily pulled it off. After I got rid of the contraption, I started unbuttoning his pants and pulled the down. I was abruptly overwhelmed by the sight of his obvious excitement.

We continued to kiss each other and explore our bodies. The night went amazing, just the way I imagined. We made love over and over again, confessing our love in the most intimate of ways. I was in complete bliss as I fell asleep in his arms. In the arms of the man that I loved more than I thought was possible.

**A/N: I guess I was just in a writing mood, which is why I'm updating again. :D Anywho, I'm sorry about the lack of details. I'm just not good at writing stuff like that. If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it. **

**I also want to thank my readers! You guys rock. Soo.. Please RxR. :D**


	13. Chapter 12

Though Edward and I had been sleeping with each other over the past couple of days, it was so much different after sharing something so intimate. His arms were wrapped around me, securing me to his chest, as my head rested on his shoulder. I looked at the clock on his bedside table and saw that it was almost ten o'clock. I lightly sat up, trying not to wake him, as I planted kisses all over his face and chest.

"Good morning, Edward," I whispered against his skin. I could tell by his change in breathing that he was awake, but he was keeping his eyes shut. Since my kisses didn't wake him up, I had to try something else. I placed my hand on his chest and let it travel to the top of his leg. His breathing hitched as he grabbed my hand and pulled it above my head.

"Morning, love," he said as he hovered over me. He started kissing my neck and jaw, and before I could comprehend what was happening, we were repeating the events of last night. After we were finished, we decided it was time to get dressed.

I settled on some boy shorts that I had packed with me last night and one of Edward's t-shirts. As I was changing, I looked at Edward and couldn't help but smile. He was standing in just his boxers and was sitting at his desk in front of the window. The sun was hitting his skin in the most beautiful of ways, actually making look like sparkles were radiating off of him. He picked up a book that looked well worn and started reading. I walked behind him and draped my arms around his neck. I placed a kiss on his neck and started reading the page that was open. He was reading _The White Company, _and after a couple of seconds, he started to recite a paragraph.

"Then must you strive to be worthy of her love. Be brave and pure, fearless to the strong and humble to the weak; and so, whether this love prosper or no, you will have fitted yourself to be honored by a maiden's love, which is, in sooth, the highest guerdon which a true knight can hope for," he said sweetly.

"I love you, Edward," I told him.

"I love you too, my love," he told me before lightly placing a kiss on my lips. He stood up from his chair and grabbed my hand, leading me out of his room and what I hoped was the kitchen. I was starving.

Luckily for me, he led us into a huge kitchen. It was amazing. All of the counters were marble and he had an island in the middle. All of his appliances were ones of the finest brand names.

"It's all for show," he laughed, "I can't cook worth anything."

"I think it's beautiful," I said as I traced my hand over the counters. I absolutely loved to cook, and I hoped that Edward would keep me around long enough to let me cook for him.

"What would you like for breakfast?" he asked.

"I can cook, if you want," I offered.

"I may not be able to cook much, but my mother did teach me to make breakfast for the lady I love," he said.

"Okay then, whatever you make I'll eat," I replied.

"How about pancakes?" he questioned. That was exactly what I wanted, so I couldn't stop the huge smile that spread across my face. "I take that as a yes?" he joked.

I simply nodded in response as I watched him gather all of the ingredients and make our breakfast. As I was watching him, I was overwhelmed by all of the emotions that I felt towards him. I loved him with all I had to give, and even though that wasn't a lot, it was enough. The pieces of my heart were slowly mending, all thanks to him.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"You," I replied nonchalantly.

"Oh really? What about me?" he questioned as he placed two pancakes on a plate and gave it to me.

"That's for me to know," I teased. He could obviously tell that I wasn't going to say what it was, so he dropped the subject and came to sit next to me with his own plate of pancakes.

"Bella," he said softly. He placed his fork on his plate and grabbed my hand. I could tell whatever it was he was about to talk about was serious, so I immediately gave him all of my attention.

"Yes?" I questioned.

"I was wondering if maybe you . . . Maybe you wanted to move in with me," he told me shyly. I gently squeezed his hand leaned over the space between us to give him a kiss.

"I would love to Edward," I answered. I knew in my mind it was quite soon to be moving in with him, but I could tell that Alice and Jasper were getting more serious so he would probably be spending a lot of time at her house, and I felt safe staying with Edward.

"Thank you, love," he whispered before capturing my lips in a pancake flavored kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and molded my body to his. We fit together perfectly, and we were completely made for each other. We continued to kiss for a couple more minutes before Edward took me to his den. He placed a movie in the DVD player and sat next to me on the love seat. I curled into his side as we started watching _Almost Famous_. He was obviously paying attention when I told him this was one of my favorites. We were just at the bus scene where everyone started singing _Tiny Dancer_ by Elton John when the doorbell was rung. Edward had made me breakfast, so I thought the least I could do was answer the door.

"I'll get it," I told him. I looked through the peephole and saw that nobody was there. Odd, I thought to myself. I opened the door anyways, just to see if they had left something on the porch. I looked around and saw nothing, and I was about to shut the door when I saw a note taped on it. My breathing stopped when I saw that it was addressed to me.

Bella,

Again you hurt me. When will you learn? The more I am hurt, the more you will hurt.

You know who.

I could hear Edward calling for me, asking who was there, but I couldn't find the words to answer him. I was so scared I couldn't move. James had found me, in the place that I felt safe, and once again made his intentions clear.

**A/N: I know that this is a short chapter, but that's because I thought that I should post one last time before the weekened comes. I'm not sure when I'll be posting again. **

**I also wanted to talk about something that was brought to my attention as controversial. I was discussing this story with my friend and she was talking about how the whole sex before marriage thing could stir some emotions with people who don't believe in that. I'm sorry if this offends anyone who has read that scene, but I don't ever want to get married, so I believe in sex before marriage. Once again, I'm sorry if this offends anyone. That was not my intention when I wrote it.**

**Anywho, thank you again for all my fabulous reviews! Please keep it up. :D**


	14. Chapter 13

I couldn't remember what happened next. I do, however, remember my knees falling under me, and the tears pouring down my face. I woke up in Edward's bed with his blanket wrapped securely around me. I felt around the bed, hoping to find Edward next to me, and he was. I instantly turned to face him and buried my face in his chest.

"I'm so sorry, love," he murmured.

"It's not your fault," I assured him. I looked up underneath my lashes to see an unreadable expression on his face.

"I promised you that I wouldn't let him hurt you, and look what just happened." His tone was now mad, as if he were upset with himself. He had no reason to be. How could he know that James would do such a thing?

"Edward, listen to me. None of this is your fault," I said sternly. I didn't want him beating himself up over something he had no control over.

"Well I'm still going to do everything in my power to make sure that he doesn't do this again. We need to tell the cops," he told me. I knew he was right.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't want to tell them and have James get ever madder than he is now," I said. Just the thought of what James would do to me if I told the police made me shiver in my place.

"I know, Bella, but you can't keep letting him do this. I think we should go to the police station today. You can get a restraining order."

I couldn't say that I didn't agree with him, or that I didn't wan to give him a restraining order, but I was just scared.

"Okay," I said lightly.

"I love you, Bella," Edward said as he pulled me tighter against his chest. I draped my arm over him and rested my head right under his shoulder.

"I love you too, Edward."

He lightly pulled my face up so that I was looking him in the eyes, and I was shocked by how much emotion was in them. Even if he didn't verbally tell me how he felt, I could tell by the way he was looking at me right then. I stretched my neck up so I could place my lips against his.

"Can we go to the station today?" I asked. I figured that if I was going to have to do this, I needed to get it done before I had to go back to work.

"Of course, love," he told me. He slowly disentangled himself from my hold and walked to his closet. "Do you have any clothes with you, or do we need to go to Alice's?" he asked. Luckily, I had packed some jeans and a tank top with me, so I didn't have to go back to her house. I really didn't want to walk in on her and Jasper.

"I brought some stuff," I called back. I crawled out of the bed and made my way outside, cautiously looking around first. Who knew where James was? For all I knew, he could be outside Edward's house, in a bush or something, just waiting until he found me alone.

After looking around, and finding nothing suspicious, I went to Edward's car to grab the rest of my clothes. As I walked back into the house, I saw Edward standing shirtless in front of the refrigerator, trying to find something to eat I assumed, and lightly singing _Supermassive Black Hole_ by Muse. The sight made me smile. Though Edward could be serious at times, this is who he really was, and that's why I loved him.

"Supermassive black hole. Supermassive black hole. Supermassive black hooooole," he sang. I couldn't help but erupt into laughter. He turned to look at me with an embarrassed look on his face, which only cause me to laugh harder.

"You think that's funny, do you?" he asked raising one eyebrow. He looked extremely sexy.

"Just a little," I said while I was still laughing.

"Well, Ms. Swan, I don't find it very polite for you to be laughing at me," he said jokingly as he took two long strides towards me, causing me to back up.

"What are you going to do about it?" I questioned.

Before I knew it, Edward jumped into a full sprint. I quickly turned away from him and started running up the stairs, laughing the whole way. Unfortunately, I was slow compared to Edward and he easily caught up with me, grabbing my waist and picking me up with absolutely no effort. He ran into his room and placed me on the bed, hovering over me. His lips instantly attacked mine and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him as close as possible. His kisses were trailing down my jaw and neck when my phone rang. A part of me wanted to ignore it, but the only people that called my phone were Edward, Emmet, and Alice, so I had to answer.

"Hello?" I asked, having to bite my lip to suppress my moan as Edward kissed an extremely sensitive spot on my neck.

"Hey, Bells. It's me," Emmet said. I instantly sat up from the bed so I could get away from Edward. I could not talk to my brother with Edward doing that.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing really. I just wanted to see how you were doing," he said in his big brother voice. There was a voice inside me, telling me to keep my plans for later today a secret, but I knew I couldn't keep that away from him.

"I'm okay. I'm getting a restraining order against James today," I told him.

"What? Why? What happened?" he questioned. I could tell by his voice that he was mad.

"I've gotten a couple of threatening notes from him, so Edward and I thought it would be a good idea for me to get one," I said.

"He left you notes? Where?" he pressed.

"One at Alice's and one at Edward's," I told him without thinking. Great. Now he was going to go all big brother on me for staying at his house.

Just as I suspected, the next words out of his mouth were: "You're staying at Edwards?"

"Well, Alice had her boyfriend come over so I didn't want to stay there, and I felt safe staying with Edward," I explained.

"Oh. Well, you know that you can always come here," he said.

"I know, but I don't want to bother you," I told him. I know that he is my brother, and he would always be there for me, but I always hated asking for any sort of help.

"You won't, I promise. Anyways, I better let you go get that thing over and done with. I'll talk to you later, though. Okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Emmet," I said.

"Love you too, Squirt," he replied as he hung up the phone.

"I think we should get ready," I told Edward.

"Okay," he answered, giving me a chaste kiss.

After I got dressed we made our way to the station. Going there brought back so many memories of my father. He used to be the police chief before he and my mother died. This was going to be a hard day.

Edward could tell something was up, because he turned down the music and grabbed my hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, this is just going to be hard. My dad used to work here," I explained. I never really talked about my parents with him, or anyone else for that matter. It hurt too much.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he said sadly. He lifted my hand and gently kissed it.

"It's okay. It happened so long ago. I should be getting over it, but I never talk about them, so I hold on to all of these memories," I answered. I could feel the tears brim my eyes and I quickly brushed them away.

"I'm here for you, Bella. If you ever need to talk about anything. You know that, right?" he asked. I knew that I could trust him with anything, and I knew that I needed to start talking about my parents.

"I know. Thank you," I told him.

The rest of the car ride was relatively quiet. The only real sound was the music in the background.

We got to the station in record time, a result of Edward's crazy driving. When we got in we were greeted by a beautiful lady who obviously only had eyes for Edward.

"Hello, I'm Tanya. How can I help you," she asked. She leaned over just a little, and lightly squeezed her breasts together, causing a one way look down skank street. This was ridiculous. I came here to get a restraining order, not to watch someone flirt with my boyfriend.

"I'd like to get a restraining order," I said harshly. She leaned back and faced me, giving me the evil eye.

"Okay," she said.

She handed me some papers that I had to fill out, so I did. It actually felt good to make it official that James could no longer legally come near me.

When I handed her the papers, she said that she needed to run them through a couple people, and she would call me when she was done.

"How long will this take?" I questioned.

"About a day," she snapped back.

"Thanks," I said before grabbing Edward's hand and walking back to his car. "I'm glad that's over with," I sighed.

I couldn't wait until all of the technicalities were dealt with, and James got the order. My life was meant to be spent with Edward and the people that loved me. Not with him.


End file.
